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Asian Development Bank and BlueOrchard Sign a $50 Million Risk-Sharing Agreement to Bolster Microfinance
ADB's flagship fund, BlueOrchard Microfinance Fund, will invest in selected microfinance institutions (MFIs) and banks.
- Region
- Global
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Press Release: The ABC Fund Supports Bolivian Microfinance Institution CIDRE IFD With Multi-Million-Dollar Investment
The Agri-Business Capital Fund (‘ABC Fund’) has announced that it is investing USD 4.7 million in Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Regional (‘CIDRE IFD’), a microfinance institution providing financial support to smallholder farmers in Bolivia.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Finance, Investing
- Region
- Latin America
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Analysis: India’s Microfinance Sector Hit As Defaults Surge In Pandemic
Small loan specialists in India that typically cater to people without bank accounts are facing a jump in pandemic-related defaults that could force some of them out of business, industry experts warn.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Health Care
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India’s Microfinance Sector Hit As Defaults Surge In Pandemic
Small loan specialists in India that typically cater to people without bank accounts are facing a jump in pandemic-related defaults that could force some of them out of business, industry experts warn.
- Categories
- Coronavirus
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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The Resilience of Indian Microfinance: Why the Sector Has Successfully Navigated the COVID-19 Pandemic
When a crisis hits a financial system or economy at large, the microfinance sector is usually among the worst impacted, since it caters to the most economically vulnerable segments of the population. As Sudip Bandyopadhyay at Inditrade explains, that's what happened to Indian microfinance when COVID-19 struck — yet the sector has shown remarkable resilience in weathering the pandemic. He explores some effective measures Indian microfinance institutions and policymakers have taken to address these historic challenges.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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Supporting Microfinance During the Pandemic: Lessons From a COVID-19 Response Program
The COVID-19 crisis has had serious impacts on the microfinance industry and the micro and small enterprises it typically serves, leading to a decrease in both the quality and volume of microfinance institution (MFI) portfolios. Mathilde Bauwin of ADA explains how the organization designed and implemented a response program to help its partner MFIs overcome the pandemic's challenges. She shares lessons learned during the process, which could be useful in helping MFIs navigate future crises.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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Opportunity or Threat: Are Healthy Partnerships Possible Between Digital Financial Services and Microfinance Institutions in Bangladesh?
Microfinance institutions in Bangladesh reach over 32 million customers with a loan portfolio of around US $9 billion. According to Jakirul Islam at Bank Asia, partnerships with digital financial services (DFS) could benefit both microfinance and DFS providers and their customers – but these partnerships are not functioning at their full potential. He shares four key benefits that are driving interest in these collaborations, and explores their inherent challenges – and some partnership models that could address them.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Addressing Predatory Lending Apps: Lessons From the Regulatory Response in Indonesia, India and the Philippines
Digital lending apps have provided financial inclusion to many in emerging markets, but complaints about predatory practices have been surging over the last two years. Financial inclusion and consumer protection consultant Hema Bansal explains how misleading marketing, inadequate disclosure of pricing, terms and conditions, and inappropriate collections practices have led to new regulatory responses in Indonesia, India and the Philippines. She shares which of these steps have proven effective — and where there is still room for improvement.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology